Freeze on some CPRIT grants lifted

Texas' top political leaders Wednesday authorized the state's cancer agency to finalize researcher recruitment grants that had been in limbo since scandal prompted a moratorium on new awards in December.

"We believe that CPRIT has sufficiently complied with our December directive to justify moving forward with this extraordinary priority," says the letter.

Other grants halted

The moratorium was imposed because of improprieties - conflicts of interest, backstage politics and bypassed procedures - in the awarding of three grants totaling more than $56 million.

The moratorium otherwise remains in effect and prevents the completion of 135 other grants awarded in August and December. It also forbids any new grants.

The letter said the three Republican leaders are "still concerned about ensuring the accountability of CPRIT before any new grants are awarded," stressing the need for CPRIT to complete reforms recommended in a January state audit.

The finalization of the recruitment grant contracts now awaits the approval of CPRIT's board. The board was scheduled to meet Thursday, but the meeting was postponed until the Senate confirms two appointments made by Perry March 1.

Wayne Roberts, CPRIT's interim executive director, said the agency is grateful for the decision and pledged to continue working with elected officials to determine how CPRIT should operate.

"We take this action as evidence some progress has been made, and we will continue to work to strengthen this trust during the coming weeks and months," Roberts said in a statement.

Roberts on March 4 wrote Perry, Dewhurst and Straus requesting permission, despite the moratorium, to complete the suspended researcher recruitment grants. Roberts wrote that a CPRIT inquiry found no problems with these grants and expressed concern that further delay placed the recruited researchers "at professional risk" because many had already given notice and were relocating.

"This is great news," said Hua Xu of the UT Health Science Center, one such recruit. "I'll now be able to buy the equipment and hire the people I need to finally get to work on the research project."

Xu acknowledged this month that the longer the delay lasted, the more he was tempted by other job possibilities. He is now committed to UT, he said Wednesday.

The moratorium was imposed Dec. 19 at the request of Perry, Dewhurst and Straus, who said the agency needed to resolve its problems and restore public confidence before proceeding. CPRIT subsequently froze 160 grants, including the 25 recruitment grants.